JPH085470Y2 - Photosensitive material processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention conveys an exposed photosensitive material to a processing tank, for example, a developing tank, a fixing tank, a washing tank, a drying section, and the like in order to transfer the photosensitive material. The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus which automatically processes, and more particularly to a photosensitive material processing apparatus which enables speeding up of the processing.

(Prior Art) A light-sensitive material such as an X-ray light-sensitive material, a light-sensitive material for printing, a color light-sensitive material and the like is processed by a light-sensitive processing device after each step such as development, fixing, bleaching, washing with water and drying. .

Such a photosensitive material processing apparatus is used, for example, in the case of automatically processing a photosensitive material for printing, a photosensitive material for medical use, a color photosensitive material and the like. In facilities such as emergency hospitals where the results of X-ray imaging are urgently needed, the photosensitive material processing device is often kept in a state in which the photosensitive material can always be processed (standby state), but the processing process itself is shortened. There is a demand for speeding up the process.

Therefore, in order to speed up the process, the processing solution such as the developing solution and the fixing solution is maintained at a high temperature, for example, 35 ° C. to speed up the processing. In this case, the processing solution such as the developing solution and the fixing solution is supplied to the heater provided in the processing tank such as the developing tank and the fixing tank or the heat exchanger provided in the processing solution circulation system path provided outside these processing tanks. The temperature is maintained at a predetermined temperature by heating and cooling means such as. On the other hand, the rinsing step is usually performed by supplying running water at room temperature to the rinsing tank via a pipe system directly or indirectly connected to a water pipe. In this case, the rinsing efficiency of such a rinsing method using running water largely depends on the temperature of the rinsing water and the flow rate of the rinsing water. In order to shorten the treatment process, it is preferable to raise the temperature of the washing water to increase the washing efficiency, but warm the running water (for example, about 1 to 10 l / min) (for example, about 35 ° C.) to obtain this warm water. When the photosensitive material is washed with water, the power consumption becomes large and the running cost becomes extremely high.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a developing solution, a fixing solution, washing water, etc. at a predetermined temperature without providing a special heating means. An object of the present invention is to provide a light-sensitive material processing apparatus that can be heated to a high temperature. A second object of the present invention is to provide a light-sensitive material processing apparatus capable of quickly processing a light-sensitive material without using a large amount of washing water.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The above object of the present invention is a photosensitive material processing apparatus that conveys an exposed photosensitive material into a processing tank and automatically processes the photosensitive material. A processing liquid heating unit that is provided and is capable of transferring heat to the processing liquid in the processing tank, a hot air guiding unit that guides warm air from a drying unit that dry-processes the photosensitive material to the processing liquid heating unit, and the drying unit. Portion and the hot air guide means, a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the treatment liquid, and an operation of the hot air switching means based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means. And a control means for controlling the above.

Further, a similar object of the present invention is a photosensitive material processing apparatus which conveys an exposed photosensitive material into a processing tank and automatically processes it, which is provided on an outer wall surface of the processing tank. A processing liquid heating means capable of transferring heat to the processing liquid; a hot air guiding means for guiding hot air from the drying section for drying the photosensitive material to the processing liquid heating means; A treatment liquid circulation path for circulating the treatment liquid in the treatment tank, a cooling means provided in the treatment liquid circulation passage for cooling the treatment liquid, a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the treatment liquid, and the temperature Control means for controlling the operation of the cooling means based on the temperature detected by the detection means, hot air switching means provided between the drying section and the hot air guide means, and the temperature detected by the temperature detection means. Based on the control means, To control the operation of the means it can also be achieved by a photosensitive material processing apparatus according to claim.

(Embodiment) Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In order to facilitate understanding of the invention in the description of the embodiments, the overall structure of the photosensitive material processing apparatus will be described first, and then the essential parts will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a photosensitive material processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

In the machine frame 2 of the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1, a developing tank 3, a fixing tank 4, a water washing tank 5, a squeeze rack 6, a drying unit 7 and the like are provided in the illustrated arrangement.

On the upper right side of the machine frame 2, there is a horizontally arranged insertion stand.
10 is provided, and the photosensitive material 11 is inserted from the insertion table 10.

Near the insertion table 10 is a detector 12 including a light transmitter and a light receiver.
Is provided and is configured to detect the width and length of the photosensitive material 11 to be inserted.

The photosensitive material 11 is transferred to the developing tank 3 by a plurality of conveying rollers 13.
It is sandwiched and conveyed inside, and immersed in the developing solution in the developing tank 3.

The plurality of conveying rollers 13 are rotated by a driving source and a driving mechanism (not shown) so as to convey the photosensitive material 11 from right to left in FIG.

Next, the photosensitive material 11 is conveyed to the fixing tank 4 by the conveying roller 13 via the developing crossover rack 3a and immersed in the fixing solution in the fixing tank 4.

After fixing, the transfer roller 13 transfers the fixing roller to the washing tank 5 through the fixing crossover rack 4a, and the washing water stored in the washing tank 5 is used for washing.

The light-sensitive material 11 that has been washed with water is conveyed into the drying unit 7 via the squeeze rack 6. In the drying section 7, a drying roller 14 and a warm air blowing pipe 15 for blowing warm air are provided to dry the washed photosensitive material 11.

Then, the dried photosensitive material 11 is carried out from the drying unit 7 into the photosensitive material receiving box 16 by the photosensitive roller 14.

The outline of the developing process of the photosensitive material 11 has been described above, and subsequently, each part of the photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 will be described.

A circulation pump 23 and a pipe line 21 are provided on the lower outside of the developing tank 3.
A cooler 20 and a cooling water pipe 25 are provided to cool the developing solution in the developing tank 3.

Similarly, in the lower part of the fixing tank 4, the cooling water pipe,
A circulation pump, a circulation line, and a cooler are provided to cool the fixing solution (none of which is shown).

The developer in the developing tank 3 is sucked from the lower part of the developing tank 3 by the circulation pump 23 and returned to the developing tank 3 via the pipe line 21. Although not shown, the fixing tank 4 is also provided with a similar circulation system passage to cool the fixing liquid.

On the other hand, on the upper part of the photosensitive material insertion stand 10, a main switch, a main lamp, an alarm lamp, a display device for displaying the temperature of the developing solution, the temperature of the fixing solution, the temperature of the drying air, the amount of replenisher, the amount of circulating liquid, etc. are displayed. An operation unit 26 including a display device, an operation panel (neither shown), and the like is provided.

Further, below the drying section 7, a control section 27 is provided which is interlocked with the operation section 26 to control the temperatures of the developing solution, the fixing solution, and the drying air, calculate the processing area of the photosensitive material, and control the replenishment amount. .

Hot air of about 50 ° C. to 60 ° C. is supplied from the dry air blowing pipe 15 through the drying duct 8 by the drying fan 29 and the heater 28 to dry the photosensitive material 11.

In addition, from the upper part of the drying duct 8 to the developing tank 3, the fixing tank 4,
A warm air supply path 33 is formed by the partition plate 31 extending to the bottom surface of the water washing tank 5. Regarding the heating of the developing solution, the fixing solution, the washing water, etc. by the hot air supplied by the hot air supply path, This will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of the hot air supply path.

That is, the warm air generated by the fan 29 and the heater 28 is supplied into the drying duct 8 and is blown toward the photosensitive material 11 from the slit provided in the warm air blowing tube 15 to dry the photosensitive material 11. The dry air thus supplied to the drying unit 7 passes through the opening 32, and inside the warm air supply path 33 constituted by the respective bottom surfaces of the washing tank 5, the fixing tank 4 and the developing tank 3 and the partition plate 31. As indicated by arrow A.

As a result, each tank is heated from the bottom, and the developer 34,
The liquid temperature of the fixer 35 and the wash water 36 rises.

The temperatures inside the dry air duct 8 and the developing tank 3 are detected by the heat sensitive elements 24 and 39, respectively, and the detection signals are transmitted via the analog gate 96 and the AD converter 94 to the CPU 8
2. Input to the input port of the microcomputer 80, which is composed of RAM86, ROM88, output port 92, and input port 90.
The damper 41, the heater 28, and the solenoid valve 40 are connected to the output port 92 via the driver 95, and the microcomputer 80
Is controlled by.

Heating means such as heat pipes or fins at the bottom of each tank 37
Is provided in a water leakage prevention structure to enhance the heating efficiency of each liquid.

The heat pipe is a metal pipe in which CFC gas or the like is enclosed, and one end thereof has an endothermic action and the other end thereof has a heat radiating action.

Therefore, one end of the heating means protruding from the bottom of the processing tank
The temperature of one end rises by heating with warm air of about 50 ° C to 60 ° C, and this temperature rise heats the processing tank, for example, the developing solution 34, the fixing solution 35, and the washing water 36, and the temperature of each solution rises. . A damper 41 is provided in a part of the hot air supply path 33 so that the amount of hot air supplied to the heating means 37 can be adjusted. That is, when the temperature of the processing liquid detected by a heat-sensitive element, for example, a thermistor provided in the processing tank, for example, the developing tank 3 exceeds a predetermined temperature, the damper 41 is closed to blow air to the warm air passage 33. At the same time as shutting off, the solenoid valve 40 is opened, water from a water source is supplied to the cooler 20, and the treatment liquid is cooled to a predetermined temperature.

When the damper 41 is closed, the warm air of the drying section 7 is exhausted to the outside of the machine through the exhaust port 43. The exhaust port 43 is closed by an exhaust port closing plate, and is opened by wind pressure only when the damper 41 is closed.

The damper 41 may be opened and closed based on the temperature of the processing liquid in any processing tank, but it is preferable to open and close the damper 41 by detecting the temperature of the developing solution that most affects the processing characteristics of the photosensitive material 11. .

The damper 41 may be any one that can be opened and closed by a signal from the control unit 27, and various methods such as opening and closing with a magnet and opening and closing with a motor can be used.

 Next, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The photosensitive material processing apparatus 1 is energized and the program starts. The fan 29 operates as shown in step 101, and then the heater 28 is turned on in step 103. In step 105, the damper 41 is opened, and the hot air is supplied to the heating means 37 protruding from the bottom of the processing tank through the hot air supply path 33. The temperature of the dry air is detected by the heat sensitive element 24 provided inside the drying duct 8, and this detection signal is sent to the controller.
Input to 27. In step 107, it is judged whether or not the drying air temperature has reached a predetermined temperature (for example, 60 ° C.), and if it has not reached the predetermined temperature, the process returns to step 103 and the heater 28 is kept on. If it is determined in step 107 that the dry air temperature has reached the predetermined temperature, it is determined in step 109 whether or not the developer temperature has reached the predetermined temperature (for example, 35 ° C.),
If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 105, and the damper 41 is kept open. Done.

If it is determined in step 109 that the temperature of the developer has reached the predetermined temperature, the damper 41 is closed in step 111, the supply of warm air to the hot air supply path 33 is stopped, and the solenoid valve 4 is operated in step 113.
Open 0 to cool the developer. In this case, the temperature of the developing solution is precisely controlled in the range of 35 ° C. ± 0.1 ° C., but the control of other processing baths, such as the fixing bath and the washing bath, and the washing water are roughly controlled. 30 ℃ ± 3 ℃, Washing water is 30 ℃
(± 10 ℃), but it cannot be practically used. When the developer temperature is controlled to be 35 ° C ± 0.1 ° C, for example,
The number and size of heating means such as heat pipes and fins provided at the bottom of these treatment tanks should be experimentally determined in advance so that the liquid temperature of other treatment layers falls within a predetermined temperature range. preferable.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

For example, instead of the warm air supply path 33 shown in the above-mentioned embodiment, an air blowing pipe may be independently constructed from the drying duct 8 to the bottom of each tank, and the number of heat pipes and fins 51 and The shape can be changed appropriately.

Further, the damper 41 may have any structure as long as it can perform blowing and shutting off of warm air under the control of the control unit 27,
A structure in which the mesh plate member is reciprocated in conjunction with the plunger, and a structure in which the plate member is rotated horizontally and vertically can be used.

(Effect of the Invention) According to the present invention, the processing liquid heating means capable of transferring heat is provided on the outer wall surface of the processing tank such as the developing tank, the fixing tank, and the washing tank, and the photosensitive liquid is provided in the region where the processing liquid heating means is provided. Since the processing liquid in the processing tank is heated by supplying dry air when processing the material, the processing liquid can be heated to a predetermined temperature without providing a special heating means. Can save energy. Further, since the washing water can be heated at the same time, rapid treatment can be achieved without using a large amount of washing water.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a photosensitive material processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of essential parts showing an embodiment of a processing liquid temperature control mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a material processing apparatus. Reference numeral 1 in the figure 1 ... Photosensitive material processing device 2 ... Machine frame, 3 ... Developing tank 4 ... Fixing tank, 5 ... Washing tank 7 ... Drying section, 8 ... Drying duct 11 ... Photosensitive material, 13 …… Conveyor rollers 23 …… Circulation pump, 27 …… Control unit 33 …… Hot air supply path, 37 …… Heating means 24,39 …… Heat sensitive element 80 …… Microcomputer

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Michimasa Nakatsugawa 1250 Takematsu, Minamiashigara City, Kanagawa Prefecture Fuji Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-60-108848 (JP, A) JP-B 32-7042 (JP, B1) Japanese Patent Publication 5-18104 (JP, B2) Actual Public Shou 54-13097 (JP, Y2)

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A photosensitive material processing apparatus that conveys an exposed photosensitive material into a processing tank and automatically processes the photosensitive material. The photosensitive material processing apparatus is provided on an outer wall surface of the processing tank and heats a processing liquid in the processing tank. Provided between the drying section and the warm air guiding means; a transferable processing solution heating means, a hot air guiding means for guiding hot air from a drying section for drying the photosensitive material to the processing solution heating means. The hot air switching means, the temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the treatment liquid, and the control means for controlling the operation of the hot air switching means based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means. Photosensitive material processing device. 2. A photosensitive material processing apparatus which conveys an exposed photosensitive material into a processing tank and automatically processes the photosensitive material. The photosensitive material processing apparatus is provided on an outer wall surface of the processing tank and heats a processing liquid in the processing tank. A transferable processing liquid heating means, a hot air guiding means for guiding hot air from a drying section for drying the photosensitive material to the processing liquid heating means, and a processing tank provided outside the processing tank for processing the processing tank. A processing liquid circulation path for circulating a liquid, and a cooling means provided in the processing liquid circulation path for cooling the processing liquid;
Provided between the temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the treatment liquid, the control means for controlling the operation of the cooling means based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, and the drying section and the warm air guiding means. A photosensitive material processing apparatus, wherein the control means controls the operation of the hot air switching means based on the hot air switching means and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means.